Metal-slat venetian blind.



W. H. HANNAM.

METAL SLAT VENETIAN BLIND. APPLICATION rum) SEPT. s, 1909.

1,022,415. Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

nu" I UHFWWYWWWHhUHD .2

MLHH HHH HEM Bk (diinas 9e. u uu-ewzz u:

W. H. HANNAM. METAL SLAT VBNETIAN BLIND. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. s, 1909.

1,022,415. Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

i I 2 SHEETs-SHEET Z.

WILLIAM HENRY HANNAM, 0F SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA.

METAL-SLAT VENETIAN BLIND.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

Application filed September 3, 1909. Serial No. 516,117.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM HENRY HAN- NAM, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Castelreagh street, Sydney, in the State of New South \Vales, Australia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metal-Slat Venetian Blinds; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willv enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to Venetian blinds, composed of a series of slats of sheet metal suspended from chains and adapted to be raised or loweredby means of wire ropes. According to my invention, the slats are made of thin sheet metal and are curved transversely to obtain the necessary stiffness. Along their longitudinal edges the slats are reinforced by wires around which the edges are curved. The spacing between the slats, as in the ordinary Venetian blinds, is less than their width, and by pulling on either of the chains, from which the slats are suspended, the slats may be tilted or canted. In my Venetian blind additional wire ropes are provided to retain the blind when let down in a vertical position and to prevent it from being blown back and forth by the wind. The chains consist of light link chains, which are hooked to the reinforced longitudinal edges of the slats, and the lifting wire ropes are passed through round or oval holes provided in the slats and areconducted over small pulleys and connected to a fall line, which is secured to the drum of a small hand-operated winch, which may be secured to the window-board or in any other convenient position. The top slat is provided with two or more yokes, which are supported by carriers suspended from a transom bar.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective front "elevation of a Venetian blind, according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section, showing the overhead structure; Fig. 3 is a perspective view, showing the manner of attaching the chains to the slats; Fig. 4 is a perspective view, illustrating the manner of suspending the top slat on the transom rod, and the pulleys, and Fig; 5 is a perspective view of the winch.

The slats 1 are made of thin sheet metal and curved so as to present an S-shaped cross-section, whereby the slats are stiffened.

2 and 3 are the link chains, the upper ends of which chains are attached to the top slat, by means of hooks 4. These chains are attached at regular intervals by links or hooks 5 to the beaded edges of the other slats, which are thus suspended from the chains. By pulling on one or the other of the chains, the slats may be more or less tilted toward a horizontal position.

As shown in Fig. 3, the longitudinal edges of the slats are bent around stout wires 6, whereby the edges are reinforced. The top slat is usually made of heavier metal than the other slats, as the entire weight of the lower slats through the chains 2 and 3. As seenv in Fig. 4, the top slat is provided with yokes 7, which are suspended from hangers 8, attached to a transom bar 9, which transom bar is fitted into the window opening and, as shown in Fig. 1, secured thereinby bolts 10. The yokes 7 ride on rollers 11 in the hangers 8 and permit the slats to be tilted to a horizontal position or to be canted angularly to the horizontal as may be desired. The wires 6 provided in the beaded edges of the slats form a convenient means for attaching the hooks or links 4 and 5. To pass these hooks around the wires, the metal of the slats is snipped out, as shown at 12 in Figs. 3 and 4.

13 are guide ropes attached at the foot to hooks or rings 14 fixed in the window sill and at the head to the transom 9. These wire ropes are passed through round or oval holes in the slats and are intended to retain the blind always in such a position that the slats may work vertically and not be swayed or blown about by the wind. The holes in the slats through which the ropes 13 are passed are a little larger in diameter than the ropes, so that the slats may run freely and are ermitted to cant or tilt.

15 are the lifting ropes, which are knotted below or otherwise secured to the underside of the lowest slat of the blind and are carried up also through round or oval holes in the slats and over pulleys 16. and 17 and thence over the head pulley 18 below which the ropes may be connected to a single lifting line 19, which runs onto the drum 20 of the winch shown in Fig. 5. The drum 20 is provided with ratchet teeth and a pawl 21 is provided, which by a spring 22 is held in engagement with the ratchet teeth. The drum 20 is secured to one end of a shaft 23, journaled in a bearing 24 and provided at the top slat has to support 20 over small pulleys, if necessary.

When the blind is raised, the single slats will bundle together from below, as in an ordinary Venetian blind and the link chains bunch up outside the slats, as shown in Fig. 1.

The curving of the slats secures several advantages. Firstly, thin sheet metal can be used for the slats, whereby the weight of the blind will be greatly reduced and, secondly, the slats are made rigid in their longitudinal axis. Thirdly, the slat is made more weatherproof and more effective to shield a window or other opening from sunrays. Moreover, the thinness of the slats ermits the holes 26, through which the ifting ropes pass and also the holes through which the guide-ropes 13 pass to be made so small that light-rays do not pass through the same, as they would do if slotted wooden slats were used.

In order to release the drum 20, when the blind is to be letdown, the pawl 21 is withdrawn from the ratchet teeth above referred to.

I claim:

A Venetian blind, composed of separate slats of thin sheet-metal and S-shaped cross-section and having beads on their longitudinal edges, wires embedded in said heads, a curved carrier, means for suspending the top slat from .said carrier, so that its angular position may be varied, link-chains fastened to the top slat, means for loosely suspending from the top slat the other slats by means of said chains, which are linked into the wires embedded in the beads, fixed guide ropes passing through openings in all the slats, lifting ropes connected to the bottom slat, means for guiding said lifting ropes, and means for pulling said lifting ropes.

In testimony whereof, I have aflixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM HENRY HANN AM. Witnesses:

J. OCoNNoR, W. I. DAVIS. 

